Compact SUV with Performance-Car Soul
The BMW X3 may have a reasonably strong grip on the compact SUV market but nowhere near as strong as the grip it has on the road when equipped with the optional Sport Package. If there is a compact SUV that puts more "sport" into Sport Utility Vehicle equation, I haven't driven it.
What tends to confuse the senses, though, is the X3's high step-in, which results from a lofty 8.0 inches of rock-crawling ground clearance. And therein lies the bemusement; how can a vehicle with such a generous helping of under-chassis atmosphere stay so securely rooted while pushing cornering forces that would launch most competitors into the toolies?
BMW has always considered itself the manufacturer of "ultimate driving machines," so when it came to giving the groundbreaking X5 a little brother, you just had to know that deft handling would be part of the vehicle's genetic makeup. This is the second X3 3.0i that I have road tested since last year when I complained about the vehicle's overly firm ride. Well, like last year, the X3's tenacity for gripping pavement is served-up with a steep price - and I'm not only talking
greenbacks here. The price for its sensational handling thresholds is levied with each bump in the road. While not being "M3-punishing," the underpinnings of the Sport Package-equipped X3 is too stiff for my preference.
Maybe my lack of tolerance correlates with hair loss and joint pain, but I have come to appreciate the comfort of a smooth, well-controlled ride over hard, jarring performance more and more these days. That said I don't want to find marshmallow-like shock absorber and spring settings in place of competent, independent suspension setups utilizing gas-charged shocks and anti-roll bars front and rear. I guess what I am saying here is hold the Sport Package with its revised spring rates and 18-inch 235/50/HR performance rubber, and give me the smoother ride and luxurious appointments of the X3's Premium Package. With my fastidious "it's too bumpy" complaint out of the way, it's time to examine BMW's charge into the highly competitive compact SUV/crossover market more closely.
The BMW X3 may have a reasonably strong grip on the compact SUV market but nowhere near as strong as the grip it has on the road when equipped with the optional Sport Package. If there is a compact SUV that puts more "sport" into Sport Utility Vehicle equation, I haven't driven it.
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| What tends to confuse the senses is the X3's high step-in, which results from a lofty 8.0 inches of rock-crawling ground clearance. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press) |
BMW has always considered itself the manufacturer of "ultimate driving machines," so when it came to giving the groundbreaking X5 a little brother, you just had to know that deft handling would be part of the vehicle's genetic makeup. This is the second X3 3.0i that I have road tested since last year when I complained about the vehicle's overly firm ride. Well, like last year, the X3's tenacity for gripping pavement is served-up with a steep price - and I'm not only talking
 |
| The price for its sensational handling thresholds is levied with each bump in the road. (Photo: Rob Rothwell, American Auto Press) |
Maybe my lack of tolerance correlates with hair loss and joint pain, but I have come to appreciate the comfort of a smooth, well-controlled ride over hard, jarring performance more and more these days. That said I don't want to find marshmallow-like shock absorber and spring settings in place of competent, independent suspension setups utilizing gas-charged shocks and anti-roll bars front and rear. I guess what I am saying here is hold the Sport Package with its revised spring rates and 18-inch 235/50/HR performance rubber, and give me the smoother ride and luxurious appointments of the X3's Premium Package. With my fastidious "it's too bumpy" complaint out of the way, it's time to examine BMW's charge into the highly competitive compact SUV/crossover market more closely.